1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system in which an image processing apparatus such as a camera is combined with a communication device such as a mobile phone, and particularly relates to an image processing apparatus preferable for establishing a general-purpose system for transmitting and receiving an image of a digital camera by means of the mobile phone.
2. Description of the Prior Art
From past, there has been demanded transmission of an image from one place to another distant place conveniently. As a solution to this demand, a device which has a structure integrally equipped with a function for an electronic still camera such as a so-called digital camera and a function for a mobile phone, has been utilized.
For example, there is shown a device in which a function for the mobile phone is provided in the electronic still camera, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid Open No. H6-133081. Contrarily, there is also known a device in which a function for the electronic still camera is equipped in the mobile phone.
However, in a case of structuring the device integrated with the function for the mobile phone and the function for the electronic still camera without undermining portability as described above, it is difficult to adapt a function of a camera to a process for a large number of pixels, or to provide the device having a function of processing in higher speed, since there is a limit in a size of a hardware in itself.
Normally, in order to provide the electronic still camera to be high in performance and sophisticated while enhancing the portability of a portable communication device such as the mobile phone, it is desirable to separate the electronic still camera and the portable communication device into discrete devices respectively.
Considering the aforementioned circumstance, there has been proposed a structure configured to be capable of freely connecting the portable communication device and a main body of an image processing device which are the discrete devices. For example, there is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid Open No. H10-126565 a structure configured to be capable of connecting the digital camera or a portable image-capturing device such as an image scanner with the mobile phone or a facsimile machine and the like.
However, a manufacturer or the like of the devices do not always match between the communication device and the image processing device such as the image-capturing device. Besides, conformity of a mounted function or the like between respective manufacturers of the communication device and the image processing device has not been ensured mutually, thus a problem occurs that the connection of them is impossible except for a special case.
Nonetheless, generally the communication device such as the mobile phone includes many basic functions which are common regardless of the manufacturers or systems, and even when a difference in the basic functions by a discrepancy between the manufacturers or the systems is present, there are many occasions that the functions can be classified broadly into several genre.